


Forbidden Love

by Dolston17



Series: Peraltiago Moments [4]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Best Friends, F/M, Fluff, Humor, One Shot Collection, Original Character(s), Romance, Secret Relationship, Unfriendly Neighbours
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27506239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolston17/pseuds/Dolston17
Summary: AU one-shot series: The Peraltas and the Santiagos have been in a feud for decades, but the children have taken a very opposite path than their parents.Or how Jake and Amy have managed to maintain a friendship/relationship despite their families hating each other.(Title for each chapter indicates how old they are for that particular story/scene.)
Relationships: Amy Santiago & Family, Camila Santiago/Victor Santiago, Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta & Family, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago, Karen Peralta/Roger Peralta
Series: Peraltiago Moments [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007391
Comments: 76
Kudos: 90





	1. Twenty-Eight

'It's good to be back,' Jake mutters to himself as he crashes onto his childhood bed.

It's so soft and, despite no one regularly living in that room anymore, so warm. He acknowledges his mother's work, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Nostalgia takes over his brain, making him smile as he though about his childhood. There were days when it would be raining heavily and Karen or Roger would have to get into the little bed, just to make sure their little baby boy could fall asleep. He lifts his head up to look across the room at his desk to, for the sight of all the action figures he had collected ever since he was ten. They're all still there, and still in their original positions. He stands up and walks over to the desk, sitting on the chair, and picking up one of the figures. A small chuckle escapes his lips when he remembers a time he would be playing with these instead of doing his homework. 

And as he remembers not doing homework, he opens the drawer below the desk. Yes, the magazines are still there - another reason he was too busy doing homework. All these magazines he had stolen from his dad were the closest he could get to porn back in the day. Luckily, he doesn't need magazines anymore, and he doesn't need them right now either, so he put them back in, and closes the drawer.

There are so many memories in this room, let alone the whole house. In fact, not much has changed in the house either. The Hanukkah decorations have been the same ever since, his mother's cooking skills never seem to rust, and his dad still cracks the lamest of jokes. Everything is the same.

He's brought out of his thoughts when he hears two men shouting outside in the street. Even though his room is the furthest away from the street, he can hear them clearly. In fact, he can hear them so well, that he recognizes the two voices - his dad, Roger, and the neighbor, Victor Santiago. He sighs as he gets up to walk back to the bed. At least he can bury his head under the pillow. But it's no use, as he can now hear two shrill voices as well - his mother, Karen, and Victor's wife, Camila.

It's something that's been going on for decades, ever since Jake was born. He actually can't remember a time the two families have gotten along. And while it is annoying, he's tried his best to convince his parents to let it go, and to start anew. But, no, they won't give in. His parents are stubborn and he knows it. They would never agree that they were in the wrong. So, he just had to live with it. Honest to god, the day he left for college was the best day in his life, mainly because he wouldn't need to hear the constant bickering everyday anymore. And even other times when he's dropped by his parents, he has to hear them complain about the neighbors over lunch or dinner. At least he could leave the same day then. This time, though, he'll have to put up with it for a week, something he hasn't done in over ten years.

So, yeah, everything is the same.

And just as he's ready to call it a night, his phone buzzes, signaling a text message.

_Come to the park, NOW!_

***

It's only a two-minute walk to the park from his house. But it's December, so this person better have a good reason calling him to the park at nine at night. And he can see them standing in front of a bench a few feet away from a frozen pond. 

'You fucking bastard!'

Okay, that was far from the response he expected from them.

'Why didn't you tell me you were coming home for Hanukkah?!'

'Amy, I can - '

'Have you forgotten how much our parents hate each other?!'

'I can explain -'

'You have no idea how much this is stressing me out, Jake!'

'Amy!' this time he shouts, exceeding her volume, so that he can talk now. But before he can say anything else, he notices her shivering, and rightfully so. Who on earth leaves their home in mid-December wearing pajamas? Unless they're from Australia, that is not such a good idea. 'Here, wear this,' he says as he takes off his jacket.

'Won't you get cold?' she asks, her voice significantly softer than what it was a few moments ago.

'I'm wearing a sweater too,' he explains before moving closer to her and wrapping the fabric around her. And as soon as she's warmer, she just hugs him, as though her life depends on it. Part of it is because she's cold, but another part of it because she's happy he's there. Jake doesn't mind it either, so he just hugs her back, trying to keep her as warm as he possibly can.

'Why'd you come, Jake?' she asks again, but her tone is soft now.

'I wanted to surprise you.'

She backs away a bit at those words, but still close enough to be clinging on to him. Jake, on the other hand, just looks down to see why she's moving, and find her giving him an _are you serious_ sort of look. He knows further explanation is required.

'You told me you were returning home for the holiday. I certainly wasn't gonna spend Christmas alone in Brooklyn.'

'Come on, Jake, you know better than that,' she reminds him sincerely, 'And we talked about this. I mean, of course I'm gonna miss not being with you during Christmas, but I need to visit my family too, no matter how fucked up our relationship is.'

'Just to be clear, when you say _our relationship_ you're referring to our parents' relationship, right? Not literally your and mine, are you?'

And just like that, she's laughing now. He didn't say the funniest thing in the world, but he just has the ability to make her laugh. It's a sound Jake agreed is his favorite in the world a long time back, but it still makes him smile. Every single time she laughs, he smiles. He can also feel her hands move up his back and wrap around his neck, and he naturally places his own hands on her waist. She smiles at him sweetly before giving him a peck on the lips.

'Our relationship is perfect,' she tells him.

'See? So why should we have to separate for Christmas?'

'Because our shitty parents would kill us if they found out we've been dating since the ninth grade and living together now,' she answers in a mock-serious tone.

'Eh, worth the risk,' he jokes, and she laughs again. 'Seriously though, are we gonna keep this a secret from our parents forever?'

He can hear Amy sigh, and he's wondering if he's annoyed her. They've talked about this so many times back in their apartment, and they've both agreed that they'll figure it out somehow. When exactly, they never told each other. But now that they're with their respective parents for Christmas, maybe they should talk about this now.

'I.. I don't know, Jake... I mean, I want to. Because of course I do want to tell anyone you're my boyfriend. And no matter how badly I want to tell them, I just don't think they'll understand. What do you want to do?'

'I wanna tell them too, but I just don't know how.... Oh! Oh! I just thought of the most brilliant plan ever!'

'Really? 'Cause if this is your plan of moving to Mars, trust me, I'm out.'

'No, no, it's better. Hear me out. We keep our relationship a secret, right? And when we get back home after Christmas, we start trying to make a baby Then once the baby grows up, they'll tell our parents!'

Again, Amy is laughing. He could come up with the most absurd plans ever. A part of her was sure that he was joking, but a little part of her kind of liked the plan. For one thing, the thought of having a baby with Jake automatically brought a smile on her face. The baby would be super cute too, after all, Jake would be the dad. Plus, the idea of a baby telling their parents to grow up was just hilarious. She had to admit that this was the best plan they had so far.

'As tempting as it is to have a mini-Jake - '

'Or a mini-Ames!' he reminds her quickly.

'Or a mini-Ames,' she adds with a smile, 'Running around our apartment, maybe first get married?'

'Oh, and we call them to the wedding? Amy, my parents think I've never been in a relationship.'

'Well, neither have mine. I mean, my mom thinks I might be gay, 'cause I've shot down every guy she's tried to set me up with!'

'I'm pretty sure my mom would've had the same thought if she hadn't found my magazines.'

'Magazines?' she says confused, 'What do you - Oh! _Those_ type of magazines! Oh, ew, gross! I didn't know you hid dirty magazines back in Brooklyn!'

'I don't. They're in my old room here.'

' _God_... Just close the blinds before you touch yourself, Peralta.'

'Oh, right, I forgot we can see straight into our bedrooms. Hey, is that how you knew I was here too?'

'Well, yeah! That and the fact that your car pulled up into your parents' house.'

'Huh...'

'Hey, how'd you know to come here?'

'Amy, you literally sent me a text telling me to come to the park.'

'No, I mean, how'd you know to come to this spot? The park's big, I could've been anywhere.'

For a moment, they just stand there with blank expressions. Jake's confused, because to him there is an obvious reason why they'd be here. Amy, apparently, doesn't realize that, and it baffles him. They've known each other for their whole lives, and this, to Jake, is the most obvious thing to know about each other.

'When we were five and we met in the playground over there,' he says pointing back, 'We were scared to talk in front of our parents, due to something we didn't understand. And you pulled me over here, right here in front of the pond, so that we could talk freely. And we fed the ducks, which is just an added bonus. And that's not all, Ames; this is our spot. Remember all those times we'd go looking for one another, and it turned out we'd just be here the whole time? Like when Sophia bullied you in the eighth grade, you didn't want to talk to anyone and you came here? Or when you thought you'd ruined your S.A.T., and you just sat here on this bench to free yourself of other things?'

'Or when you thought I liked Teddy in the ninth grade and you got so depressed that you just stood here alone?' she said softly.

'Yeah... So, this place would be the first place that I'd think of when I think of you.'

They just stand there, smiling at each other like idiots, before Amy pulls him into another hug. But it's different this time, because it's not just warm, it's desperate too, which is evident because Jake can feel a few sniffles against his chest. He knows when Amy's crying, and it aches him every time she breaks into tears. He plants a kiss on her head, and rubs her back soothingly in an effort to calm her down.

'Hey, what's wrong?' he asks softly, as he lifts her face up by the chin. 

'I love you so much, Jake,' she says tearfully, despite Jake trying his best to wipe the stream on her cheek with his hands, 'And everything about you is perfect, and.... I just want to tell our families, and I know you do too... But we can't, and.... Why? Why is it so hard for us?'

He needs to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from crying too. Everything about their relationship is so perfect. They're so happy, and all their friends back home know it too. But the one part that makes no sense is how the people that raised them, that love them, and they them, are the one obstacle. He knows it's out of their hands. Right now all he can do is hug her tight, a sign that assures her that he will never let go.

'I love you so much too, Ames,' he whispers softly, 'And I know our situation sucks... But I promise you that we'll be together, happy, regardless of what they say, okay?'

He doesn't get a response in words, but he can feel her nod against his chest. 

They will be happy living together in their apartment in Brooklyn like they have done for the past year. They will be happy after they elope, inviting only their closest friends to the wedding. They will be happy when a little bundle of joy becomes a part of their lives. They will be happy as Jake plays twister with their son, as a pregnant Amy supervises.

But for now, they're happy in each other's arms.


	2. Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I actually got a lot of people saying they wanted more to this story, mainly flashbacks about their childhood. And I actually did want to write some more to this. So, here you are...

There is something so calming about sitting in front of a pond and reading, Amy feels. The sun is out, keeping her warm, but there's also a cool breeze blowing, and although she has to keep a strand of her hair from falling in front of her eyes every now and then, she doesn't seem to mind it. She can hear the ducks quack, while the ducklings chirp as they follow the parents. It's just like how kids follow their parents behind, asking the most random questions, something Amy has noticed as well. And while all of these would actually make her day better, she knows what she's about to do is a scary, yet important, thing. 

'Hey,' a voice says from the side.

She doesn't even need to look up from her book to know who it is. She's known that voice for a very long time. And while their voice has changed over different parts of life, the person is the same. 

'Hey, Jake,' she says with a small smile, before motioning him to join her on the bench.

'What'cha readin'?' he asks.

'Oh, _1984_ ,' she says as a matter of fact, turning the cover to show him.

'That's a weird title for a book.'

'Uh-huh, as compared to the last book you read,' she says sarcastically.

'Hey, Enid Blyton writes good books.'

'Yeah, but _The Magic Faraway Tree_ is for kids!'

They both laugh, as Jake wraps an arm around her, before pulling her a bit closer to him. They've always enjoyed being in each others' company, ever since they were kids, and it's never changed. 

'I missed you today,' he says softly.

'Yeah, I did, too. But, you know, gotta start looking at colleges now.'

'I'm telling you, we still got more than a year for all that crap.'

'Well, it's never bad to start early.'

'Ugh, you're such a nerd...' he teases, receiving a punch on the arm. 'Anyway, I was with Rosa at lunch. She said you wanted to talk to me about something?'

The moment he says those words, she tenses a bit. She remembers the main reason she was at the park with her boyfriend. There was that brief moment when they were joking and teasing each other, and she'd forgotten about all her worries. He just had this ability to make her happy, make her feel better with minimal effort. But now that he brought up a topic related to her earlier worry, albeit unknowingly, she was brought out of the fun, playful time with Jake.

'Um... Yeah,' she says, straightening her position, 'So, I was looking at colleges, and I realized - '

'That you don't want to go to college?' 

'What? No! Of course I'm gonna go to college. Why'd you interrupt me?'

'I don't know. On the slight chance that I could be right?' he suggests with a shrug.

She just shakes her head before continuing, 'As I was saying, I was looking at colleges, and I realized that you'll be going to college, too... Wait, you are going to college, right?'

'Yeah, even though I have no idea what my major is gonna be.'

'Eh, good enough. Anyway, so it got me thinking, and I realized that there's a strong chance we're not gonna be in the same college.'

'Oh, come on, Amy!' he groans, startling her a bit, 'There's no reason to be so overdramatic! I mean, come on, we're just starting the new session in school, and this is what you wanna talk about first? I told you, we still have a year to look at colleges, never mind think about the future.'

There are times when she absolutely adores her boyfriend, there are times where he gets on her nerves real quick. It's not that he's done anything despicable that would make her loathe him, but some things, which she find important, he just takes them for granted. She does know that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but there are times when she wishes he could do more. 

'Jake, please?' she says softly, 'I mean, it's hard enough for us to keep a relationship given how uncomfortable our families are towards one another. Can't we at least try and think about how we can make it easier when we'll be away from them? Unless... Unless you're thinking we should break up.'

'What? No, Amy, no!' he replies quickly, 'I'm not thinking about that, trust me.'

'So can we please talk about this then?'

He pauses to look at her for a moment. She looks scared and uncertain, and he doesn't blame her. The future is definitely uncertain and can easily be scary. But he doesn't want her to be scared about her future, or even their future. Truth be told, he's not often thought about the future, but when he has, he's always pictured Amy next to him. Especially after in the past two years, he's thought about Amy a lot, despite their rough circumstances. He certainly doesn't want to break up with her and he knows she doesn't want to either. But the longer he tries to shun ideas about the future, the more fragile their relationship becomes. It's not fragile at all actually, but he doesn't want to take the risk.

'I suppose we could apply to the same colleges,' he says softly.

'That would increase the chances of us being in the same college, but only a little. There could be colleges I get in but you don't, and vice versa.'

'Hmm...'

'I, um, actually.... I actually have thought of something, it's similar to what you just said,' she says shyly.

'What is it?'

'Well, between the two of us, I'm more likely to get accepted by more colleges. Not that you're bad, I mean, you are an amazing guy and an amazing boyfriend. But the colleges won't see you the way I do, and, well, my records are better than yours.'

'Is this supposed to be a suggestion, or a way to push me to do better?' he asks jokingly, earning a laugh from her.

'My point is, we apply to the same colleges, and I'll just choose the first college you get in.'

For a second, Jake thinks it's exactly what he said. More or less it is, but she's suggesting that she'll probably be accepted by more colleges (which he is pretty sure will be true), something he didn't take into account in his plan. It seems fool-proof at first, except, after thinking about it, he does see that there is one problem.

'Ames, that sounds amazing,' he says with a warm smile, one that's almost reflected by his girlfriend, 'But I can't let you do that.'

The smiles vanish from both their faces when he says that. 'Why not?' Amy asks, worried.

'Because what if some Ivy League college wants you? Are you seriously gonna reject them to go to some community college I'll be joining?'

'First of all, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna end up in community college. Second of all, yes!'

'Amy, have you seriously thought this through? You can't just let go of some amazing opportunity so that you can be with me!'

'What other choice is there, Jake? I do not want this to end, I really don't. You're the one that's got me through so much at school and at home. You're my best friend and my boyfriend. I don't want to lose you, ever.'

He looks away for a moment, repeating her words in his mind. When he turns to face her again, he can still see her worried and afraid. It's not the prettiest site in the world to see Amy being nervous. He wants her to be happy, because she deserves it. She's an amazing person who deserves the best.

'Ames,' he says as he takes her hands in his, 'I like you so much, and you know it. The truth is I don't want this to end either, because we've known each other for so long, and just the thought of you not being a part of my life scares me to death. Ideally, I'd want us to be in the same college, too. And I know we'll try to make it happen. But in case it doesn't, it doesn't mean it's the end for us. We don't need to end anything. And, yes, I know it's a long distance relationship, and that itself is scary. But, Ames, we managed to have a relationship when we live right next door to each other, while our parents fight over god knows what in front of our street every fucking time. Trust me, we got this.'

'You promise?' she asks, this time her eyes and voice full of hope, Jake notices.

'I promise,' he reassures her with a quick peck.

And it's a promise he's never broken.


	3. Eleven

It's not often that Jake notices someone's absence from class. He doesn't even know all the people in his class. Of course, there's Charles, who will follow Jake everywhere, even the bathroom once, which resulted in quite an embarrassing scene. There's Gina, always keeping up with the latest trends and celebrity news. And there's Rosa, perhaps the most frightening person Jake has ever met. But there's one more person who completes the squad, and they're not present today - Amy.

Jake's known Amy for a long time. They're best friends, and it's clear for everyone to see that. They tease each other, both verbally and physically, but they also help each other out and are there for one another. It's a shame that their parents hate each other, otherwise who knows how much closer they could be? Of course, that's not to say that they aren't close now. The share the same seat on the bus, the have lunch together more often than not, they play together, they talk to each other a lot. In fact, most people, at first, think they're a couple, something which they've both vehemently denied.

So, it's no surprise that Jake notices her absence from class today, and it's something that bothers him the entire day.

***

'Hey, you guys got any idea why Amy is absent today?' he asks his friends during lunch.

Very dramatically, Charles drops his sandwich onto the plate, pressing his hands over his chest, almost the same way a mother would do when observing one of their baby's firsts. Gina looks at him, annoyed, with an _are you serious_ face, while Rosa just stares at him like she usually does.

'It's official! Jake loves Amy!' Charles squeals, jumping in his seat.

'Oh, god, don't tell me you're one of those people...' Jake groans.

'One of what people?'

'One of those people who thinks Amy and I are a couple.'

'Oh, I know that's not true... But I do know that you love her!'

'Jesus Christ...'

'I mean, it's pretty obvious if you think about it,' he continues, 'You always run a hand through your hair when you're joking with her. You plan when to meet her in the park, that's basically a romantic getaway. You always talk or complain about her more often than not. You always smile around her, even if it's sarcastic. You even hummed one of those Beatles songs around her... What was it? Something...?

'Something,' Gina says

'Yeah, that helps, Gina,' he says sarcastically.

'No, the name of the song hummed was _Something_ ,' she clarifies.

'Seriously, who on earth notices all this?!' Jake asks exasperatedly. 'Okay, I may do all that,' he continues, 'But that's because we're friends. I mean, I joke and talk with you all; doesn't mean I have feelings for all of you. Besides, you know how the situation between our families is. We kinda have to meet in secret if we are to talk. Oh, and also, the only reason I hummed _Something_ is because it was the last thing I heard on the radio before I left home. And it was ONE TIME!'

When he's done with his justification, he looks around the table to find three people staring at him in very different ways. Charles looks like he adores Jake even more now, Gina looks like she's been through hell and back, and Rosa wants this conversation to end immediately.

'Wow, Jakey! You're even more in love than I thought!' Charles exclaims.

'Wha- Okay, Gina, you seriously don't think that, do you?'

'Boy, you've been in love with Amy since the day you met her! Remember? You were so shy that you just nodded to everything she said?'

'Okay, Rosa, you definitely don't think I'm in love with Amy, do you?'

'No, I don't...'

Thank you!'

'But you definitely have a crush on her.'

He can't believe it. He honestly can't believe that his, as well as Amy's, closest friends think that he has a crush on Amy. It's just not true, it can't be. He used to just shrug off what other people would say, even though he didn't see what it was that made them think he and Amy were some sort of couple. But he had no idea his friends thought the same way. He feels betrayed, really, despite not being sure if that's the appropriate reaction to the situation.

'I hate you all.'

And with that, he walks away from the table, and heads straight for his next class, even though he's at least ten minutes early.

***

It's not often that Jake reflects back on his day, but today has been weird. He knows Amy is his best friend, and he hers. But he even considers Rosa, Charles and Gina as his best friends. Yet, when they're absent, he doesn't miss them as much as he missed Amy today. Maybe it's because he didn't get someone to make the butt of his jokes, or maybe it's because he just didn't have someone to irritate. He's not entirely sure what the reason behind him missing Amy so much was. To make things worse, she didn't turn up at the park today, where they always meet after school. It's like what he told his friends - the only way for him and Amy to talk without getting caught by their parents. 

He looks out his window, straight over to the Santiago residence. The room he could be able to see right into, had the blinds not been closed, is Amy's. He really wants to just walk over and ask about her. It is so tempting for him with her home being right _there_. But he knows that it's just wishful thinking, and there's not much he can do about it.

'Hey, Jake?' he mother asks as she enters the rooms slowly, 'Your friend Rosa is on the phone downstairs.'

***

'She's got the chickenpox?'

'Yeah, she's gonna be down for at least a week.'

'How'd you come to know?'

'She called me, said she wanted me to send her notes from every class everyday or something....'

'Hmm...'

'Listen, I'm only telling you 'cause I know you guys are close, but she obviously can't call your house because.... Well, you know...'

'Yeah... Thanks for letting me know.'

'You alright?'

'Yeah, why?'

'Don't know, you just seem bothered... Is it because of what we said at lunch?'

'No, I'm good.'

'Alright then. I'm hanging up now.'

'WAIT! Rosa, wait!'

'What the hell is wrong with you?! You don't need to shout that loudly, dumbass!'

Sorry, I just... Just tell Amy that I hope she gets well soon.'

'Okay...?'

'That's it.'

'Really? Was expecting some lame, mean joke for her.'

'Nah... Probably wouldn't be appropriate.'

***

Refusing to make fun of Amy Santiago? Perhaps there is a first for everything after all. He is confused as he thinks about the opportunity that he passed. He's actually been feeling weird since lunch today. It's not new for him to learn that people think he and Amy like each other. He's actually had people walk up to him and ask him directly, some, like a girl named Sophia, curious, while others, like a boy named Teddy, who actually do like Amy. But he just didn't expect his friends to think the same way as others. The five of them have been friends since the were little kids. They know each other well (just enough, in Rosa's case). So, they were making fun of him during lunch, right?

Jake's not entirely sure why people perceive him to like Amy. They tease each other. They annoy the hell out of each other. They have the opposite interests in almost everything. They would, quite possibly, make the worst couple ever if they were to be. This alone should be enough for others to know they don't like each other. But they think they like each other. So there must be something that's giving others that vibe. 

Maybe it's because they care for each other. Maybe it's because they work together in almost every assignment or project. Maybe it's because they share most things, like lunch, stationaries, and books. Maybe it's because they listen to each other patiently. Maybe it's because they talk to each other all the time. Maybe it's because they share their secrets with one another. Maybe it's because they always support one another. Maybe it's because they feel comfortable around one another, Maybe it's because they make each other laugh. 

'Oh. my god... I do like her...'

It's a realization that hits hard for Jake. He's not sure he's had a crush before. Well, apart from the models he sees on the covers of his dad's _Playboys_. But this is probably the first time he's had a crush on someone of his age group. To make things worse, it's his best friend. Only now, he probably won't see her as his best friend, but rather as his crush. For a while, he denies it, thinking that it's absurd he likes Amy Santiago. But, apparently, the more he thinks of her, the more he likes it. It's a scary situation for him, because he knows Amy doesn't like him, and he think she'll stop being friends with him if she ever finds out.

He will talk about this with Gina and Rosa tomorrow, but not Charles because he's sure that he won't be able to keep it a secret. They will assure him that it'll be fine, as long as he doesn't act weird around her, and that the crush will probably go away over time. He will be a bit skeptical at first, but once Amy will be free from the pox, he will continue to tease her and make fun of her, like he always does, while he also starts paying attention to her more. It will give him hope that he can eventually move on, and that this crush on Amy is really just nothing.

Right now though, he's in bed, scared of the consequences that come with having a crush on Amy Santiago.

Spoiler Alert: He never moves on from her, and _everything_ works out till the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _'Something in the way she moves  
>  Attracts me like no other lover  
> Something in the way she woos me  
> I don’t want to leave her now  
> You know I believe and how'_
> 
> \- _Something_ by the Beatles


	4. Twenty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written from Jake's point of view.

I was so nervous for tonight, I don't think I've ever planned so much for anything. It's incredible how Amy and I have been together for ten years as a couple. It's kinda weird too, but in a good way. She's gone from being my friend, to my best friend, to my crush, to my girlfriend. Wow... And she's the best, so I really needed tonight to go well, and I think it has gone well. She loved the present I gave her (a Wilson Jones Legal Size Vinyl 4-Ring Binder, 2-Inch Capacity, 14 x 8.5 Inch Sheet Size, Black binder and a necklace), she loved the restaurant I picked, and she loved the food and the dessert. Today has been all about class, something I'm not too keen about often but I've made it the theme for tonight.

It's when I'm paying the bill that I notice Amy's phone buzz for what has seemed like the millionth time tonight. She's away from the table for now, and it does boggle my mind as to why she never takes her phone into the washroom, but she's ignored her phone throughout the night, even when it's buzzed right in front of her. Maybe it isn't important, or maybe she just doesn't want something to disrupt our special night. I am curious to know who's texted her all this time. But it really would be unethical, not to mention a real buzzkill for tonight, if I were to snoop around. Regardless, I just know that, once she's back at the table, I need to tell her that she's got a message.

'Hey, ready to go?'

I look up to see Amy standing in front of me, wearing an amazing dress that she looks so hot in, and smiling as sweetly as ever.

'Oh, yeah,' I say as I get up. I'm helping her with her coat when I tell her, 'I think you got a message when you were in the table.'

'Oh... Probably not important.'

Her tone was a bit low when she said that, almost as if she's trying to hide something. Maybe she's just trying to tell herself that it's okay to not bother about work sometimes. But I don't want her to do that. I know how much she loves being a cop and how much she respects the authorities, so it just doesn't seem right to me that she's ignoring all this for me. I appreciate it, but I really don't mind if she needs to go in right now.

'Ames, I know it sucks how detectives call us at their convenience and not ours, but I know you like reporting in whenever necessary.'

'What?'

'I'm just saying, I understand if you're being called in right now. I mean, it's happened to me too, but it's part of being a beat cop. I just don't want you to think that you need to put off work for me.'

'Jake, what on earth are you talking about?'

Okay... So, she clearly has no idea what I'm talking about. Her expression is definitely confused, like the first time I made a _title of your sex tape_ joke or every time I go on and on and on about _Die Hard_.

'Your phone?' I indicate as I point at it, 'It's been buzzing the whole night.'

'Ohhh, _that_ ' she says prolongedly.

'I thought it was work.'

'No, it's not work,' she says, this time a bit tensely. 'It's... Well, okay, I didn't know if I should tell you about this, 'cause I was afraid this would ruin our evening, but... It's my mom.'

'I don't see why that should ruin the evening.'

'No, let me finish.... So, our parents obviously don't know that we're dating because, well - '

'I know,' I tell her quickly. It's not something we like talking about, so there's no reason she should elaborate on it.

'Right, well,' she continues, 'She still thinks I'm single... She's kinda been trying to set me up with people.'

Woah, woah, woah woah! Did I hear that right?! Amy's being set up with someone?! She's my girlfriend! Mine! Okay, I know women don't belong to men, but I'm with her! She's my girlfriend of ten years as of today! No, no, no, I probably just misheard her. Or maybe I didn't. I don't know!

'What?' It's really the only thing that come to my mind, and so that's exactly what I ask her.

'Look, I know how this sounds, and it is messed up,' she continues quickly, 'But I've been ignoring her texts for the past week, because she's still send me suggestions when I've told her not to... Are you- Are you mad at me?'

'What? No! No, I'm not mad at you!' I assure her quickly once I see the worry on her face, 'Just a lot to take right now.'

'I know, I know. Sorry I kept this away from you... But, hey, I'm with you, alright? And I'm very, very happy with you. So, let's not think too much about this, okay?'

'Yeah, sure.'

'Thank you,' she says with a sweet smile, 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

She pulls me in for a kiss, and, god, it is amazing. It's amazing every time I kiss her. It's still surreal to me sometimes that I get to kiss Amy Santiago, the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth. And the deeper it gets, the better. And this is a very deep kiss. It may be due to the fact that it's our anniversary, or that we're about to go to one of our places tonight. But I also think that it's a kind of way for her saying sorry for keeping the fact that her mom is trying to set her up with some guys a secret. I can't blame her, it's not her fault. Plus, this kiss is totally making up for it.

'So,' she says once we've finally parted, 'You wanna go to my place for _a special treat_?'

'Yes, please.'

***

'So, wait, lemme get this straight,' Stevie says, 'Your girl's being told to go out with hot dudes?'

'For the last time, I don't know how hot they are,' I say with a sigh.

'And when you came to know about this, she changed the subject to sex?'

'Well, I mean, it was our ten-year anniversary. Sex was always on the table.... Wait, why are you asking all these questions?'

'Dude, you need to be careful,' he says with a pat on my back.

'Do I really? I mean, it is understandable why her mom is trying to set her up; she has no idea we're together. Besides, Amy would never cheat on me.'

'Okay, maybe that's true for now. But let me ask you this - have you ever had a fight with her?'

'Have I ever had a fight with Amy? Seriously? Yeah!'

'Alright, and how far did your biggest fight escalate?'

'Um... I don't know. I guess we ended up not seeing each other for a week... But I mean, that could also be due to the fact that we both were busy with work.'

'Right... Well, the next time you two have a fight, she's gonna think that you're the biggest idiot. And then she's gonna herself ask why you're together....'

'Okay, what?'

'And then she's gonna be alone in her apartment, hoping someone, _anyone_ would be there with her...'

'Not liking what your tone is indicating there, man...'

'And all she's gotta do is make one call, one call to any of those men on her phone...'

I'm stunned, but scared. What Stevie just told me is absurd, I would probably never even think about it myself. But the way Stevie said it... Oh, god, now I'm worried that it actually might happen, that Amy might call one of those guys in case I do something wrong in our relationship. And what if those guys are hot? What if they're freaking supermodels? Fuck, I wouldn't stand a chance then. I have never felt this insecure before, and I don't like it. I just want to rush to Amy, wherever she may be, and just throw her phone away. But I can't because I'm on duty right now with my asshole of a partner. It's his fault I'm feeling this way.

'I hate you, Stevie...'

***

I seriously don't know why I'm at the Seven-Eight. I mean, I did come here to meet Amy, but I don't know why. It's not like we planned to meet here today or anything, I think I'm just more scared about what Stevie said. Oh, right, I wanted to throw away her phone. Well, that probably won't happen because _A_ she'd kill me, and _B_ she's actually not here right now. That just makes it all the more awkward for me. Even Rosa's not here. Sometimes I forget we're just beat cops, and that we have to follow the detectives' orders. I just can't wait to become a detective.

'Oh, my god! Jake, what are you doing here?'

I don't even need to turn around to know whose voice that is. It's kinda imprinted in my memory, along with every other thing about the person.

'Hey, Ames,' I say before giving her a peck, 'Just wanted to surprise you, see if you wanted to have lunch together.'

'Of course,' she says delightedly. 'Gotta say, Peralta, you've been pulling all the strings since last night,' she says with a smirk.

'Told you - falling in love with me was the best thing you ever did.'

She giggles at that, and it makes me smile. It's cute when she giggles, super cute. And it's also probably the loveliest sound it the world.

'Yo, Santiago,' we hear Rosa call from behind, 'Briefing room, now.'

'Oh, god,' Amy groans, 'I hope we don't need to go back on the case.'

'Wow...' I say softly.

'What?'

'Are you, Amy Santiago, frustrated at the fact that you may have to work?' I tease.

'Well, if it's between that and having lunch with m boyfriend, then yes. Also, Detective Cooper has really weird rules for the briefing room. Like, there's a seating arrangement as if we're in kindergarten, or we can't take our phones in there with us.'

The last part gets my attention. So, she can't take her phone with her for this meeting. She'll have to leave it out. Does that mean I can throw it out when she's not looking? Well, maybe not. But I do get to access her phone, so maybe I will be able to see her conversation with her mom, and get some sort of understanding of what type of guys she's trying to be set up with.

'You can't take your phone?' I ask, just to make sure I heard her right.

'Yeah,' she says with a sigh, 'He really doesn't like modern technology, doesn't even like emails.'

'Damn...' I don't know why I said _damn_ , I wasn't even listening after she confirmed that she'd have to leave her phone. 'So, do you want me to look after your phone? I could answer in case you get a call?' I offer.

'Well, I can't take it with me, so, yeah, why not?' she says as she hands me the device. 'I'm not really expecting anyone to call me,' she explains, 'But I guess you can answer them in case you know who it is... Unless it's my mom or dad, of course.'

'Totally, I got this,' I reassure her, 'Now go to your meeting, you're already late.'

She gives me one last peck before leaving. I need to make sure she's with the others in the briefing room. She loves her work too much to even take a peak out. Once I am sure the meeting's started, I look down at her phone. It's lighter than mine, but it's also better than mine. Okay, no, why am I thinking about this right now? I need to get to work on this thing quick. Oh, shit. I forgot she has a PIN. Fuck... What is her PIN? Her birthday? Nope, doesn't work. My birthday? Nope, not that either, which I am a little hurt by, but no time to mope right now. Oh! Our anniversary! for fuck's sake, it's not that either. Why does she need to be so smart and think of a really complex PIN?! What on earth could she have in here? Oh, right, she's a cop; she could have classified info in here. Smort to keep a complex PIN.

I try thinking of another series of numbers; I only have two tries left. I don't know either of her parent's birthdays, or their anniversary. But even before I can try, she gets a call. It's some guy named David. I don't know... He sounds suspicious. My original plan was to just see the guys her mom's been suggesting her, but it seems like that plan's not gonna work out. What if this David is one of the guys her mom told her about? What if he's calling her thinking she's single? No, that is wrong. Because I'm with Amy. You know what? I'm gonna set this guy straight.

'Hello,' I answer, even though I'm unsure what I'm gonna say.

'Hi, is Amy there?'

'No, she's busy.'

'Oh, well do you know when she'll be free?'

'Hmm... Let's see... Well, she's gonna have lunch with me after this meeting she's in, then she'll come back to work. We'll probably have dinner together also. And to end the day we'll have the most amazing session of sex two people can ever have!'

He's silent. Maybe I did get to him.

'I'm sorry, who is this?'

'I'm Jake Peralta, alright?!' I say a bit loudly this time, 'I'm Amy's boyfriend, okay? So, I don't care what her mom told you about her, but she is not single. She's with me! So just back off right now, 'cause I can get crazy when it comes to Amy.'

Again, I'm met with silence. I don't know if this guy is confused or is actually scared. I hope it's the latter, 'cause I didn't really plan this through and I'm not sure if I can really be more dominant than that.

'You need to see someone, man,' he says before hanging up.

For a second I don't believe it. I've never been in a confrontation, but this felt real. What's more, I think I came out on top. Wow, I defended both myself and Amy. At least that guy won't bother her now. Plus, this might work on other guys too then. I really am a genius!

'Hey, ready for lunch?'

I turn behind to see that it's Amy, waiting patiently, and smiling as sweetly as ever.

'Oh, yes.'

***

Today's been a great day. It started with waking up next to the most beautiful person in the world, and now probably will end with sleeping with her again. But we still have dinner and movie night to get through first. But probably the best part of the day was how I stood up to that guy. What was he thinking trying to ask out a girl already in a relationship? Okay, to be fair, he probably didn't know, but I was just doing what normal guys would do if they saw someone hitting on their girlfriends. I think I did a pretty good job. So, now I can focus all my attention on making movie night a smashing hit. Well, the table's set in front of the couch, there's a bottle of red to be paired with my special pasta. I just know Amy's gonna love it.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I hear a knock at my door. Just as expected, it is Amy. Weirdly though, she seems a bit off. Maybe it's just because she's had a long day; she's probably tired.

'Hey,' I say, giving her a peck, 'Everything alright?'

'What? Yeah, good, everything's good,' she says, albeit unconvincingly, as she enters my apartment.

'Here, sit down,' I say as I gesture to the couch. 'I'll go get the pasta, you can pour us a glass each,' I suggest.

'Wait,' she says, stopping me on the spot. 'I need to talk to you about something,' she says seriously, not breaking eye contact at all.

'Oh, what is it?' I ask as I join her on the couch.

'So, before I came here, I got a call from my brother, and he told me the weirdest thing.'

'Wait, which brother? You have seven brothers.'

'Oh, I'm sure you'll know who I'm talking about,' she says in a knowing manner. It's a tone she only reserves for when she's mad at me, and she is clearly hinting at something I did wrong. This is not good... I better figure out what I've done wrong. 'You talked to him today,' she adds, 'He says it was the weirdest conversation he ever had...'

'Ames, what are you talking about?'

That changes her expression completely. She is clearly angry now. God, if looks could kill, I'd be a dead man. With the way this conversation is going, she probably will kill me at the end. 

'Do you remember all my brothers?' she asks, demanding me almost.

'Um... I guess... I remember Tony, and there was Gabe... Of course, Hector and Danny, who could forget those two pranksters? Oh, and Nicolas, yes. Um.... Chris was the oldest, right? And, um... Wait, I can't remember the last one.... Just give me a moment... Um.. Oh, the golden child! David!' 

I say the last name ecstatically, proud of myself for still remembering all of them till now. But Amy's face is telling me otherwise. She is far from impressed, and I don't know why. I don't think I got any of the names wrong.

'So, that last name doesn't ring any bells?' she asks.

'David? No, why?'

'Okay, okay,' she says, and I can tell she's calming herself down. 'Did you or did you not answer my phone when I was in the briefing roof? Oh, and before you do, make sure you answer honestly.'

I start breathing heavily, knowing I'm in trouble now. What's more, I finally realize why she asked me to remember her brothers' names - because the guy who called was David, her brother, not some guy her mom was trying to set her up with. Fuck... She probably hates me right now; even I hate myself right now. The anger in her eyes just seems to be increasing with every passing second, but I'm too scared to answer, even more so now because she knows what I did.

'I can't believe you thought I was seeing someone behind your back. Do you not trust me?!'

'No, no, Ames, I trust you, one hundred percent,' I try reassuring her.

'Christ... And it was my brother, okay?! Do you know how embarrassing that was Jake?! It was so fucking messed up! I could just kill you right now! I want to just... ARGHHH!'

'Ames. Ames! Please, I can explain.'

'Oh, you can explain, can you? You better have a good explanation for this or I swear I'll break your bones!

***

I've just told her everything, from first to last. I've been honest, there really was no point in hiding anything anymore. But her expression is... expressionless. I don't know if she thinks I made all that up, or if she thinks that I'm the dumbest person on earth. It's kinda creeping me out how she's just staring at me, emotionless, as if she's trying to look into my soul or something mystic like that. Seriously though, I don't remember the last time I wasn't able to make out how she felt. It's something that just comes naturally to me I guess, what with us knowing each other for twenty years now. I really need to know how she feels, because I made this mistake and I need to correct it.

'Ames,' I say softly, 'Say something.'

She sighs before shifting in her seat. 'Were you really worried that I would meet up with one of those guys?' she asks me back.

'Not at first... Just after what Stevie said.'

'Jake,' she says as she takes my hands in hers, 'We've known each other for so long now, right? I mean, we celebrated our ten-year anniversary yesterday! And I was so happy yesterday, and I'm happy today, and I know I'll be happy tomorrow. Because I'm with you. And you make me happy in every way. You're my first everything, y'know? First crush, first boyfriend, first kiss, first at _that_. And I'm glad I never had to share any of those experiences with anyone other than you. Because I'm extremely lucky proud to be with you, Jake. I mean, if I could I'd tell my parents about us because of course I would, and I'm sure you'd do the same with your parents. And I understand if it's hard for you to come to terms with the fact that my mom. I mean, it'd be hard for me too if it were the other way around. But I promise you, okay, that I won't act on any of them. Because I love you.'

'I know, I'm sorry, Amy. I don't know why I became insecure all of a sudden. The more I think of it, the more stupid I realize I was. It's just that... Well, it's like you said, you're my firsts too, and I just don't like the idea of another man being with you... You know what? This is my problem, I'll deal with it myself.'

'Jake, it's okay. I'm not mad at you being insecure.'

'You're not?'

'No, I was just mad at what you did, your actions... Look, if I'm being really being honest, there are times when I've been a bit insecure too.'

'What? Why?'

She sighs before continuing, 'Well, my mom's been trying to set me up with guys for over a week, right? And every time I get a text from her, I just remember how we haven't told our respective parents yet. And there's just as likely a possibility for your mom trying to set you up with someone too.'

'Wow... I... I didn't know that.'

'Yeah... So, I'm not mad at you being insecure, but you didn't need to act that way.'

'I know... I'm sorry.'

'It's okay. I still love you... so much.'

Woah! What?! She loves me _so much_?? She's never said that before. Wait, what does it mean?? Am I supposed to say the _so much_ part back as well? Oh, for fuck's sake, Jake, just get a hold on yourself!

'I love you so much, too.'

We both smile at each other before leaning in for a kiss. It's soft and sweet, perfect just like any other kiss. We're still smiling like idiots when we part. But I still have something to ask.

'Are we alright?' I ask, only getting a confused look from her. 'I mean, we've been together for ten years and we still have these little insecurities... Are we gonna be alright?' I elaborate.

'Oh, yeah, totally,' she says nonchalantly, 'I talked to Tony when I got the first sign of insecurity, and he told me it was normal just as long as it didn't escalate into something big.'

'Why Tony?'

'Well, he's a therapist.'

'Oh... So we're good?'

'Definitely,' she affirms with a peck. 'So, listen,' she says coyly, shifting towards, 'I know this is supposed to be movie night, but seeing that we just had a fight, do you wanna maybe, I don't know, _make up_ for it before doing anything else?'

I really don't need a second invitation to an offer like that. I swoop her into my arms, and carry her into my bedroom as she leaves a trail of giggles. But, rest assured, those giggles will be moans of pleasure for the next hour or so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to Leona for this request. I absolute love Jake and Amy being jealous, so this was really fun to write! Hope you didn't mind that I wrote it as Jake's POV.
> 
> Also, since this work was originally just a one-shot series, I actually didn't mention in the end notes to leave requests, but now that it is a multi-chapter fic, feel free to do so.
> 
> One more thing, I probably won't be posting here for some time now since I have to prepare for my SAT. So, you can just leave a request if you have one, and I'll be back with the stories you have requested.


	5. Eighteen

'And on the last day,' Jake says as he turns the next page of the binder, 'we'll go to the library.'

'And...?' Amy asks, thinking there's more.

'And nothing. We'll be at the library the whole day, and do whatever you want to.'

The look on his girlfriend is so worth it, he tells himself. He's planned this for ages, and he's so happy she likes it. The fact that they have a week together before the leave for college is something that is both hard to comprehend but also taken in the best positive attitude. It's not like they're breaking up after all; they just don't know when the next time will be when they can sit this close to each other as they are in the deli for now. So Jake took it upon himself to give Amy the best last week ever. He made a whole binder for it, a typical Amy Santiago way to start. And he's made sure that each day they'll do something that she loves, because he believes she deserves it. He just showed her his entire binder for the week, and she's touched.

'Jake,' she says softly, with a smile, 'This is all so, so sweet of you. I mean, you made a binder, and you included activities like going to the museum and the library... But what about you?'

'What about me?'

'I mean, these are all activities I'm gonna enjoy. You didn't include a single thing you wanna do.'

'I wanna do these, Ames,' he tells her, 'I mean, you'll be happy, so I'll be happy.'

'Aw, how sweet... and cheesy,' she quips, making him laugh softly. 'But no,' she continues, 'I am not going to let my boyfriend do things out of his interest just to satisfy me.'

'So, what, you're gonna cancel all these ideas?'

'Hmm, not entirely,' she says as she pulls the binder in front of her. 'Let's see... Okay, so, instead of four hours at the museum, let's cut it down to two, and use the other two for paintball. And, um... let's see... Instead of the whole day at the library, we'll go watch _Die Hard_?'

It's his turn to look at her adoringly now. Amy, in turn, just smiles, as if to say, _you like that idea?_ He wants to thank her, he wants to tell her she's the best, he wants to tell her that they're working on a fourth _Die Hard_ movie. But he doesn't know what to say first. Okay, well, he's definitely eliminated the possibility of saying the last one, but still, he's not quite sure what to say. Instead, he leans over as both their smiles become wider, and just brushes his lips with hers. She cups his face, and he can feel her smile, too. It's just a soft kiss, one that can convey a million words.

'For fuck's sake, Boyle! We're not talking to you!'

'Rosa, please? It's not like I planned it.'

Jake and Amy have to break up at the sound of their friends entering the same deli they're in. It's annoying, considering how much they were enjoying the fact that they had their lips on on another. It's not like their friends don't know what's happening between them, but if they were to engage in P.D.A, they'd be teased about it for eternity. And they had to learn that the hard way.

'Oh, yeah?' Rosa asks, taking a seat beside the couple, 'Then why are you posing with your dad in front of a grill?'

'I wasn't posing... He just pasted my picture from somewhere else.'

'Dude, I literally saw you two days ago in the park, having a photoshoot for that picture,' Gina claims.

'What's going on?' Amy asks.

Rosa turns to face her and her boyfriend. Boy, if they though she was pissed when they heard her tone when talking to Charles, her expression tells them she's livid, almost wanting to stab someone. And she could. For all they know, she's hiding a shiv in her leather jacket. She's not been caught with it by any authority, but she has drawn it out at times... just to polish it, of course.

'Read for yourself,' she orders, thrusting a poster into her friend's hand.

' _The Full Boyle Neighborhood Barbecue_ ,' she read softly.

'This Friday?' Jake asked as he rested his head on Amy's shoulder to read the details as well, 'Sorry, Ames and I are out.'

'What? Why?!' Charles asked exasperatedly.

'Come on, Charles, do you even need to ask that?' Gina chimes in, talking a seat as well. 'Look what we have here,' she says as she lifts the binder, ' _A Week with Amy Santiago_... And these two were snorking before we came in. They want to spend their last week together like some gross, old couple when one of them is dying with cancer.'

Everything Gina just said makes Amy's face turn to a deep shade of red. It's not that she's embarrassed to be doing all that with Jake, but it's embarrassing when their friends tease them like that. And now, she's expecting for Charles to barrage them with questions because, well, that's what he does.

'Oh, my God! Amy are you dying with cancer?'

'Wha - No! And why would you think I was the one with cancer?' she asks, slightly offended.

'Well, just between you and me, you look a bit pale.'

'Don't listen to him,' Jake cuts in quickly, pulling Amy back into her seat and wrapping an arm around her, and rubbing her arm to calm her down, 'You're beautiful.'

She smiles at that, blushing almost. Jake doesn't mind whispering sweet things to her, and she appreciates it every single time. It's times like these that she feels she's lucky to be in a relationship with him. He just says the sweetest things to make her smile. God, she's gonna miss him in college.

'You two, get a room,' Gina says, clearly not caring for the P.D.A.

'Anyway,' Jake says, neglecting Gina's comment, 'We're not gonna be there.'

'No, no! You have to be there!' Charles says, almost demandingly, 'It's gonna be our last day together.'

'Buddy, you do realize that you and I are going to the same college, right?'

'I mean, _us_ \- the whole group.'

It's when Charles clarifies that Jake finally understands. Yes, he did want this final week to be for him and Amy, but it's also the squad's last week, too. It wouldn't make sense for only him and Amy to hang out, all five of them had to get together, too. And a barbecue does seem like a good idea; they'd be at the park, play games, have fun. But he just wasn't sure if Amy would want to do it, after everything he planned for them. But one look they share is more than enough to know that she wants to hang out with the other friends as well. They just smile, and Amy gently squeezes his hand under the table for reassurance.

'We'll be there,' she tells Charles.

'Promise?'

'We promise.'

'No backsies?'

'Yes, no backsies,' Jake agrees.

'Good... 'Cause, uh, there's something I need to tell you two.'

It's the hesitation in Charles' voice more than anything that worries the two of them. Normally, he doesn't know when he crosses the line, so to see him get nervous means it's something big.

'Okay, if you're gonna make us eat turkey or chicken testicles at this thing, I am definitely not coming,' Jake declares.

'First of all, you can't so that; you agreed to no backsies. Second of all, there's not gonna be any testicles because Gina over here convinced my dad not to serve it.'

'You're welcome,' Gina says with an exaggerated nod.

'The thing I want to tell you is... Okay, so my dad mailed these posters around the neighborhood, you know, to invite people.'

'Well, how else were you gonna have a "neighborhood barbecue" without any neighbours?' Amy asks blankly.

'You're not getting it,' Charles says with a shake of the head, 'My dad mailed _everyone_...'

'Yeah, we heard you the first - _Oh_....'

The sudden realization hits Amy hard, and the other friends, who still haven't understood, look at her expectantly. She just sits there, wide-eyed, a million thoughts racing through her head. She's already presuming the worst for Friday, even though she knows the reality will be a hundred times worse. A couple minutes back she was having a great feeling about Friday - they five of them hanging together for one last time before heading for college. But now she knows it's going to be avoiding a particular set of people that day.

'Bitch, tell us what he's on about!' Gina shouts, bringing her friend out of her thoughts.

She gets startled at first, but then turns to Jake, who looks as curious as ever. She doesn't know how he'll take the news, how to tell him even. But she has to, because learning about it himself would be even worse.

'Jake,' she says softly, 'he invited our parents.'

***

**Friday:**

'God, this is a beautiful day. Sun shining, blue skies, birds chirping... It's the perfect day for a barbecue, glad Lynn planned this.'

As much as he is dreading today, Jake has to agree with his dad. It is the perfect day for an outdoor activity, but what good is the day if you're not gonna be able to handle the people around you? He knows his dad hates the Santiagos with all his heart, something he'll probably never understand why. They fight over the pettiest of things when they meet and it becomes the talk of the town. Plus, it doesn't help that his girlfriend is of that family. He just hopes it doesn't turn out to be an epic shitshow. He and Amy have planned to keep their parents out of each other's way, even if it does mean they won't get to see much of each other today. To be honest, he does know that even if they were to hang out and not give a damn about their parents, just the constant bickering that would fill the air would spoil the day.

'Jake!'

He stops in his tracks to look around. He thinks he heard someone call him in a loud whisper. But he can't see anybody around. The barbecue is still about fifty yards away, and he knows he can't here someone whisper from that far out. Maybe it's just the breeze, he tells himself, and so he continues to walk.

'Jake, here!'

He hears it again, and this time he's sure it's an actual person calling him instead of his mind playing games with him. Also, this time he's able to locate the source of the sound. It's coming from behind a tree, and the first thing he tells himself is that the person calling him is terrible at hididng; he can see the back of their head clearly. And it's more than enough for him to know who's hiding, because he can also see their long, free-flowing, dark brown hair. If there's one person whose physical attributes he knows well by now, it this person's.

'You know you'd be terrible at hide-and-seek, right?' he says as he walks over to the person, 'I can see the back of your head clearly.'

'Well, why'd it take you hours to actually find me when we were kids then, huh?' 

'Because,' he says, now close enough to place his hands on her hips, 'When we were kids, I couldn't play with your hair after a make-out session, so I didn't really know what it was like back then.'

That makes her laugh, as she wraps her hands around his neck. She pull him in for a kiss, one that lingers on a bit as they just can't get enough of each other.

'I missed you,' she says after they break apart.

'Missed you, too, Ames,' he confesses, before giving her one more peck.

'Nervous?'

'Nervous? For what?'

'You know... Our parents being in the same area as us...?'

'Oh... Kinda, yeah...' he says softly, and both their smiles go from wide to weak in a matter of seconds. 'But, hey, we'll distract them from each other, alright? It looks like a pretty big crowd, so it should be easy.'

'Yeah,' she says, 'We can do this. I mean, we live right next to each other and we've made things work out for the past three years.'

'Exactly, this'll be a piece of cake.'

'So,' she says, her smile now growing wider, 'Do you wanna make out before heading over there?'

He doesn't even answer. Well, he doesn't answer _in words_ , but she's pretty sure the way he crashed his lips onto hers, so that her back's against the tree, is some sort of a 'yes'. And it's such a new feeling to know that your boyfriend is doing all this when their parents are literally around the corner. As if making out with him isn't hot enough, the fact that they have to do this sneakily is ridiculously hot, but she'll have to control that for now, although she is pretty sure that Jake walking around in this rolled up flannel that he's wearing is gonna be a challenge enough.

'You're so great,' Jake breaths once they've both stopped to catch their breaths, and he just receives a smirk from her. Once he's fully regained his breath, he leans in again, with just as much ferocity as there was initially,. This time, though, she is taken by surprise because she thought it was only going to be one session.

'Jake...' she says breathlessly, half her mind on just giving into the feeling and another half on ending it, 'We.. We should go there..?'

'Aw, please...' he begs in between kisses, 'Just five more minutes?'

'That's.... Too long.'

'One minute then? Just one?'

'Fine,' she caves in. It's not like she doesn't want to, but she was just worried how the longer they delay would mean the greater the chances of their parents bumping into each other are. But what are the chances of them bumping into each other in sixty seconds?

'What the fuck are you doing here?'

Almost on instinct, the two teenagers stop midway through their little tryst, and look at each other skeptically. They look around at first, thinking someone's spotted them. Much to their relief, they don't see anyone around, but they're still curious to know what's happed. So they walk around the tree, only to see that a sort of a circle is formed at the sight of the barbecue. They share a cursory glance, expecting the worst. And they're right, because in the middle of the huddle are their parents insulting and using cheap words at one another.

Today is going to be a long day....

***

'Papi, just sit here, okay? I'll get you some water.'

'Yes, you sit down, Victor, and I'll go have a word with Lynn about why he invited _them_ over.'

'No, Mami! You sit down here, too!'

It's not often that Amy has to tell her parents what to do. They're Santiagos for crying out loud! They know how to behave everywhere. They literally have manuals for how to behave in every place and situation. And yet somehow when they see the Peraltas, all of that just goes to the trashcan and they, quite frankly, behave like barbarians. To be fair, Amy acts weirdly around one of the Peraltas, too, but that's nothing like their parents. The only thing she can do now is act as her parents' personal caterer and go get them food and drinks throughout the day.

She's filling two cups of water when she hears someone from behind saying, 'Come on, Ames, hurry up.'

She glares at him as she put the two cups down. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Jake,' she says in the most sarcastic tone she's ever used, 'But the thing is my boyfriend wanted to add some extra time to our make out session, during which our extremely uncivilized parents met, and now I have to cater to their every need today, so that they don't run into each other again. So, if you're angry at me for taking too much time at filling two cups of water, you can redirect that towards my boyfriend.'

'Hmm... I like it when you call me your boyfriend.'

Amy just eyerolls him, and lets out a frustrated groan, as she tries to make her way back to her parents, but Jake quickly goes after her.

'Ames, wait,' he says, 'Hey, it's not like it's entirely my fault... I mean, your brothers could've stopped them.'

'Well, the like drama, and they like to see me get into trouble. So put two and two together.'

'Yeah, but - '

'There's no buts, Jake!'

'Title of your sex tape,' he quips in quickly, only to receive a _seriously_ type of look from Amy.

'Yeah, as if you've ever had sex,' she scoffs.

'Hey, not so loudly! I don't want people to think I'm not cool!'

This time she doesn't even try to hide her frustration and groans in dismay as she turns around again.

'Hey, wait,' he says again, making her turn around, 'Look what's happened has happened and there's no use crying over spilled milk. But I promise I won't leave my parents' side now, okay? And they won't meet.'

'Jake...'

'No, I swear, we can handle this now.'

'Jake, we- '

'I will not let you down.'

'Jake!' she shouts at him this time, finally making him stop the blabbering. She sighs before she continues, 'Where are your parents?'

'Back there,' he says, pointing behind him.

'And mine?'

'I think over there?' he replies, now pointing across the park.

'And where are we?'

'Next to the food stand.'

'Right... So are we next to our parents right now?'

'Oh, shoot...'

They both quickly look behind to the place where they left their parents after calming them down. And even though they're not that far away, they can't see them. It's frustrating to them, as if they're babysitting toddlers who just won't sit still. They know it's up to them now to find their parents, even though they actually don't want to. 

'Oh, you think you're better than me?'

'Well, I am taller than you, so yes!'

On the bright side, it's not that difficult to figure out where there parents can be. They just need to follow the loudest voices, the biggest fight, and they'll find them. It's not rocket science. And their hunch is right - their parents are fighting, again. It's up to them to calm them down once more. Looking at each other with annoyance, albeit not directed at each other, they walk over to their parents.

'Yeah, right, as if you could beat me in anything.'

'Oh, you don't believe me? Camila, take out the Twister.'

And before they know it, Jake and Amy have taken off their shoes, ready to play Twister.

***

Twister is actually a game everyone loves playing. The idea that you end up in weird positions, and have to balance with all your strength is pretty hilarious. It's a great game to play with family and friends, and it's an easy way out for parents to let their kids enjoy themselves while they can rest. But forcing your eighteen-year old to take part in a game of Twister to prove which family is better? That might sound weird, but it is the situation Jake and Amy have found themselves in. There's a huge crowd gathered around the mat, because Victor and Roger have hyped this stupid, petty game too far. What's even worse is that the people seem to be into it, and they're even betting. Some are cheering, some are booing. And Victor and Roger are not showing any signs of stopping the insults. Jake and Amy feel like they're in the middle of the Colosseum, like two gladiators ready to battle, while the crowd spurs them on.

'This is stupid,' Amy says, just loud enough for Jake to hear her.

'Agreed.'

'You guys ready?' Rosa asks, standing with the spinner. After she receives two unsure nods, she begins.

_'Amy - left hand, red._

_'Jake - right foot, blue._

_'Amy - right hand, red._

_'Jake - left foot, red._

_'Amy - right foot, yellow._

_'Jake - left hand , yellow._

_'Amy - right foot, blue._

_'Jake - left hand, red._

_'Amy - right hand, yellow._

_'Jake - right foot, yellow._

_'Amy - right foot, yellow.' ___

__They've only been playing for a couple of minutes, but it's enough to get them all tangled up. Well, that is the point of the game, after all. Their limbs look like the intricate roots of some old tree - twisted and in several knots. But it's actually impressive how they've managed to maintain their positions and keep their balance. They even acknowledge it with a few small smiles at each other. The crowd loves it, but in reality, Jake and Amy hate it. Don't get them wrong, they love competing with one another. They would probably even say it's what their relationship is built upon. But it's not fun when you're being pitted against one another by your parents. They actually want this to end._ _

__'You enjoying?' Jake asks._ _

'Not really, no,' she mumbles.

'You know you can just fake it and act like you've lost your balance, right?'

'Oh, and give you the game?' she replies sharply.

'Wow, so much for not enjoying...'

She sighs before speaking again, 'Sorry, it's just... I'm not really enjoying, really. And I wanna end this. But my parents are right there, and if I just lose this game, they're gonna rank me lower than last month.'

'Oh...'

He knew what she meant. The Santiagos ranked their children. Yes, they ranked their children from one to eight. And he knew it bothered Amy, because she could never be that favorite child. She'd do her best in literally everything she took part in, but it just wasn't enough for her parents. There were days when she'd come to school feeling down because of it, and Jake hated that. He didn't want her to feel like that, ever.

'Dude, did you hear me?' Rosa calls out to Jake, bringing him out of his thoughts.

'What?' he asks.

'I said right hand, red.'

The first thing that went through Jake's mind was that it was weird. They'd been playing for two minutes, and this was the first time his right hand was called out. But then he looked over at the red column. There were enough empty spots to choose from. But he could also pretend as if lost his footing and fall down, or he could also pretend like the only spot he could go for was the one her left hand occupied right now. He wasn't enjoying himself, and he certainly didn't want his girlfriend's parents to be disappointed in her when she'd done nothing wrong, so this seemed like the most prudent plan.

'Ames?'

'Yeah?'

'Are you allowed to share spots in Twister?'

'Only if you're on the same team.'

'Cool! So, I'm gonna pretend that the only spot I can reach for is the one your left hand is on.'

She jerks her head back to look at him, or rather as much as she could look at him, before asking, 'Why do you wanna do that?'

'I mean,' he sighs, 'We're not enjoying, and we both want this to end, but you can't lose, so...'

'You'd really do that for me?' she asks, her voice full of admiration.

'Definitely... Also, it's like I'm talking to your butt in this position.'

'Oh, shut up!'

'I mean, it's not that bad actually, it looks really round and - '

'Oh, just make your move, Peralta!' she snaps, both embarrassed and irritated at him.

Jake took a deep breath, almost dramatically, making Amy roll her eyes as she heard it. He was pretending everything was in slow motion, like the coolest action scenes in movies. He was making this heroic, for both himself and his girlfriend. And in the most dramatic way, he landed his hand on top of Amy's. But that's when the drama stopped; that's when everything seemed normal. They'd held hand before, millions of times. And finally being able to touch each other was a massive relief for both of them. They were both barely able to hides their smiles.

'Jake, you can't share; you're gonna have to try searching for a new spot,' Rosa says.

'Oh, well, um... I can't... I can't reach for another spot,' he faked.

'You sure? 'Cause otherwise Santiago wins.'

'Uh... Yeah, I'm sure,' he says, sharing a knowing smile with Amy.

'Alright... Santiago wins!'

***

Jake hardly cleaned his room, so there was no way he was gonna help clean up an entire barbecue, even if there would be others to help him. So that's why he was here - sitting in front of the pond, at sunset. He never really cared for natural beauty, but this, he had to admit, was perhaps the one part of nature he had learned to appreciate over the years. It was his favorite spot in the whole world, mainly because it was his and Amy's spot. And although she wasn't with him right now, he could only be thinking about her when there. It's been a weird, strange day to say the least. From having to pretend that they hated each other, to playing Twister to prove which family was better, to preventing their parents from meeting it each other. It was messed up to say the least, but it also worried him.

'There you are; I've been looking for you.'

He turns around to see Amy walking towards the bench he's at. Naturally, a smile forms on his face when he sees her. She looks tired, but also really beautiful. Actually, the sweat that's glistening over her exposed skin is actually making her look hot, Jake notes. To be fair, he's found her beautiful and hot in all sorts of situations. Like today, when he was staring at her rear during Twister. Even though he's tried to get the thought out of his brain, it seems to be stuck there. But when Amy has reached over to him, and gives him a peck as she sits next to him, he forgets (almost) all of it.

'Tired?' he asks her, and he receives a nod, so he pulls her close to him and lets her head rest on his shoulder.

She snuggles close to him, even though it's pretty warm. That's just how she feels comfortable, and he does, too. She enjoys the scene in front as well, just like she has done many times. But she knows that the best way to enjoy it is by sitting next to Jake. After all this was their spot. It's their spot to get away from the whole world, and jus be with each other. Hardly anyone they know ever comes by, so it's really for their alone time.

'It's beautiful,' Amy comments on the sunset.

'Not as beautiful as you.'

She looks up at him with an amused look on her face. 'You've been saying real cheesy things lately, Peralta,' she remarks.

'Have not!'

'Have, too!'

They both share a laugh before going back to their original positions, with her resting on his shoulder. But Jake actually wants to talk about something. He's not sure how he should bring it up, but he does need to. Maybe just get to the point directly.

'Hey, you ever think about the future?' he asks.

There's no answer for sometime, and he's wondering he's upset her or something.

'Sometimes,' she responds at last, that too without any hitch in her voice.

'Like what?'

'Being the youngest N.Y.P.D. captain.'

'Oh...'

'Yeah... Do you?'

'Yeah, I think of being a detective and how I'll solve crimes faster than anyone before.'

They go back to sitting in silence again, even though Jake's not entirely sure he got the answer he wanted.

'I, um... I...'

'What?' he asks, looking down to face Amy, whose face has turned a bright shade of red now.

She, too, looks up at him, and it looks like she's a bit embarrassed. 'Okay, don't make fun of me,' she declares, 'But I think about kids, too.'

'Kids?' he repeats.

'Yeah, kids, babies, children, or whatever you wanna call them.'

'What do you think about kids-related?'

'Oh, um... That, you know, I'll be a mother to two kids and, you know, I'll play around with them, and...' she trails off, and her look becomes pointed. 'Why are you asking me all this?'

It's his turn to feel nervous now, and he avoids her gaze. 'I don't know... I just... Today just felt like what our future might be... Your side of the family hating my side and vice versa and we just get stuck in between... I just... It just didn't feel good, and I wanted to know if you saw a future with us being happy... But I suppose that's all far into the future, and we'll get to it someday.'

'Jake,' she says with a small smile, as she takes his hand in hers, 'I know we'll be happy in the future. You know how? Because I'm happy right now, with you. You make me happy, Jake. I mean, if we weren't happy would we have wanted to continue our relationship through college? And I know our situation sucks, and I know it could be so much better, but we've dealt with it, I think really well. So who's to say we won't be able to continue it later, right? Plus, we'll be away from them starting tomorrow, and yes, we'll be away from each other, too, but at least we can meet whenever we want now. And, okay, maybe the kids thing is a bit too far away, but I think about stuff like that, and I think you'll be the father of our kids, and I think we'll get married, and all that. Got carried away there, sorry. But my point is, I think we'll be happy in the future.'

'But do you really want to be with me over family? What if it comes to a point like that?'

'Jake, are we in a relationship right now?'

'Yeah.'

'And does my family hate you?'

'Yes.'

'So if we're together now, I'm gonna wanna be with you in the future, regardless of what my parents say.'

'I love you, Ames.'

'I love you, too, Jake.'

The share a kiss before continuing to watch the sun full set below the horizon. It hasn't occurred to them yet that this was the first time they shared an 'I love you.' It'll take them some time to finally register in their minds, but right now they're content being together, even though it's their last few hours till god knows when. And even though they're not in a library or a movie hall, they're happy because they're together, just as Amy said.

And they'll always be happy as long as they're together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to abotherfigure for this request. And, yes, I know I said I'd think of something other than neighbourhood BBQ, but I think I researched enough on the topic to go with it anyway.
> 
> Hope y'all liked it!
> 
> Feel free to leave requests if you have any :)


	6. Thirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning - this chapter is pretty angsty, but trust me the ending is really happy.

Jake has been interrogating people consistently for two months now. Ever since he's been detective, he's made sure only he interrogates the perps he's caught. He doesn't even let his girlfriend, who works at the same precinct, do it. He's learnt a few things in that time period - physical torture as shown in movies is definitely not allowed; you can't lie just hoping the person will fall for it and confess; some interrogations will last for just minutes, while others will last for hours. 

One thing he's always wondered, though, is how the perp must feel. Are they nervous that they may be convicted? Are they proud that someone finally 'notices' their work? Well, today, Jake is finding out how it might feel - 'might' because he's not entirely sure if your parents confronting you can be compared to a police interrogation. But he is comparing the two, because he is confessing about a crime. It's actually only a crime within the Peralta household; elsewhere, it would be normal.

He takes a sip from the glass of water placed in front of him, quenching his thirst after answering a series of questions from either parent. He can still feel their eyes on him, and they are equally disturbing despite showing different emotions. Roger is fuming, as if he's been betrayed by his own son. To be fair, it can be considered a betrayal, but Jake knows that the feud between his family and the Santiagos is ridiculous, so he doesn't entirely care. Karen looks more nervous than angry. Yes, she also despises the Santiagos to an extent, but not with a passion like her husband does. 

'I just have another question.'

Jake sighs as he rubs his eyes furiously. He's finally understanding how his perps feel during an interrogation session - frustration and exhaustion. Before he walked into this house, he'd thought of all the questions his parents would throw at him, and he's actually practiced answering those questions so many times. But apparently, they had so many more than just ten questions to ask him. He doesn't even know how they still have more questions to ask him.

'Dad, I told you everything - how we met, how we've been together since high school, how we live together, how we work together. What more could you possibly have?'

'Why?'

'What do you mean _why_?'

'Why do you like her?'

The first thing Jake wants to say, or rather correct, is that he doesn't like Amy; he loves her. But, again, perhaps this is the most his parents will acknowledge his relationship with Amy, so 'like', in this case, does mean 'love'. But then a million things run through his mind - there's too much to list. If he were to try and explain everything he loves about Amy Santiago, it would take him ages. How much can he include, so that they don't end up falling asleep?

'Because she's my best friend... and she loves me for who I am.... and she's amazing... and I wanna spend the rest of my life with her.'

Jake winces at himself at the last point. He nervously looks at his parents across the table, and he notices that they've moved a bit forward from their seats. In the thoughts of why he loves Amy, he came across the most recent thought he's had of her for some time now. It happened one night when they were getting ready for bed, and Amy noticed a typo in her crossword puzzle. Literally, the next thing Jake knew was that he wanted to marry her. He's still not entirely sure why _that_ incident in particular made him have the epiphany, but he is so sure he wants to marry her. And his parents have obviously seen through his answer.

'Sounds like... Sounds like you wanna marry her, there...' Karen says slowly, even letting out a few nervous laughs in between as if hoping she's wrong.

'I do,' he says aloud for the first time, and he realizes there's something different to it when you say it to yourself out aloud.

'Oh, shut up!' Roger snaps quickly, 'This is... This is obviously some sort of joke he's pulling on us, Karen. How can he - '

'Dad! It's not a joke! Amy and I are together, and we've been together for fifteen years now, and we love each other.'

'Oh, piss off! What do you know about love?'

That seems to be the last straw for Jake today. He can tolerate most things; but if there's one thing he cannot tolerate, it's if someone questions his love for Amy. He knows that he doesn't need to prove them wrong, because he already has Amy in his life, but when someone does question it, every fiber in his being gets an alert, as if he's being challenged.

It first happened years ago when the couple was at a movie hall. Jake had gone to get the tickets, and he returned to find Amy talking with someone else. He wasn't jealous at first; he just thought it was a friendly stranger, or even an old friend at most. It turned out that the guy was actually asking Amy out, and even then Jake thought it was just an innocent mistake. But when Amy told the guy that she was with someone and pointed at Jake, the guy just looked at them questioningly, telling Amy that she could do better. The next thing Jake knew was that he was being whisked out of the hall for punching the guy, and Amy obviously followed him. Amy had a long conversation with him that night about how it shouldn't and didn't matter to either of them when someone, never mind a complete stranger, questions their relationship.

And yet today he was feeling the same way he did that night at the movies. It didn't matter to him that his dad was the culprit this time; he just had to respond.

'Well, I know that one shouldn't cheat on the person they love...'

'Jacob, that's enough!' Karen cuts in quickly, 'That's between your father and me; don't bring it up now, or - '

'Or what?' he challenges.

'Or... Or you're no longer welcome here...' Roger finishes.

For a moment, Jake's eyes dart back and forth from his dad to his mom. He can tell his dad looks pleased - leaning back, arms folded, a little smirk on his face. It's obvious that he thinks this is a game, and that he's got Jake cornered. His mom is in disbelief - hand covering her mouth and shaking her head slowly as she processes everything. 

'Just to be clear,' Jake speaks up, 'You're asking me to choose between you two and Amy?'

'Yes.'

'Well, thank you for making it _so_ easy.'

* * *

Amy is feeling terrible right now as she sits bin the passenger seat. Sure, she's been scolded at by her parents several time in her life. The first time she can remember is when she was three and she played with a beachball inside the house. Other times, she's been scolded at for reasons that are ridiculous, but seemed logical at the time. For instance, when she got a 'B' minus on her seventh grade science project. So, getting a scolding is not new for her. But today it's different. It's more than just a scolding today, and the more she thinks about it, the more she cries.

She hears the driver's door open, along with a series of curse words, and she quickly wipes her eyes. She can tell that things between Jake and his parents didn't go well, either, and that her crying isn't going to help it. So she just sits straight, eyes fixed on the dashboard, and bottom lip bitten. Naturally, she wants to ask him about what happened. But even though she doesn't know all the details yet, she knows that it probably ended in a fight. There's a lump in her throat that's obstructing her speech, so they stay in silence. It's oddly nice, she notes, but one of them will have to eventually break it.

'What's wrong?'

She jerks her head to the side at his question. For one thing, she wasn't expecting him to make the first move; but his voice is soft - a stark contrast to the anger in his eyes. 

'I think you can figure it out,' she whispers, barely able to get the words out of her throat.

'Yeah, but you've been crying. Was it really that bad?'

Of course he can tell she's been crying. Is there anything she can keep a secret from the person she's known virtually her whole life?

'They hate me... They hate us... They don't want to see or hear from me ever again.'

She's trying so hard not to cry, but it's no use. Even if she is talking to the one person she feels comfortable most with, replaying the images in her mind is too much for her to take. Jake, instinctively, wraps his arm around her and pulls her closer to him, and she just hugs him as tightly and cries into his shoulder. She can feel him rub her back soothingly, occasionally taking deep breaths, as he, too, takes in the events he himself had sat through.

'I'm sorry,' she says through sobs, 'I know things didn't go as we hoped they would with your parents either; I shouldn't be crying about my problems only.'

'Hey, it's alright,' he whispers in her ear, 'You don't need to apologize for crying.'

'No, I do!' she persists, forcing a separation from the hug. 'What did your parents say?'

'Pretty much the same as yours. He tried to make it all dramatic by asking me choose between you and them.'

'God... I'm so sorry, Jake.'

'It's not your fault. Our parents are the dickheads.'

'Yeah, agreed.' 

They sit in silence again. Amy composes herself, and Jake just looks out the car - back at his childhood home. She just looks at him, trying to comprehend what he really is going through. The moment they drive out of that street, their relationship with their families will be over forever - maybe more so for him than her.

'Tell me.'

'What?'

'Tell me what you're thinking of, Jake.'

'There isn't anything to tell you, Ames.'

'Come on, Jake, I know that look.'

'What look?'

'That look!' she points at his face. 'That's the look you have every time you try to hide something away from me.'

'I don't have a look!'

'Stop being so stubborn, Jake! You know you're not the only one who knows their partner well.'

'Amy, what are you talking about?'

'I'm talking about you, you idiot! Looking outside with _that_ face. I know you're thinking about something.'

'I'm not thinking about anything!'

'Oh, my god! I'm trying to help you, Jake, there's no reason to shout at me!'

'I don't need your help!'

There's silence again, both of them glaring at each other furiously as the words he said sink in. They both know that they're not in the right state of mind right now, and that their minds are really muddled at the moment. So when Jake says he doesn't need Amy's help, they both know he doesn't mean it. But Jake can't help but feel guilty. Him saying that he doesn't need Amy's help is probably the most wrong statement ever, he feels. Amy is his everything. It's a cliché, but he really cannot imagine what life would be like without her. They've known each other for twenty-five years now, and they've shaped each other's lives - from childhood to school to college to the academy to work. Amy, too, sees him in the same way, and he knows it.

'Sorry... Ames, I didn't mean that, I really didn't.'

'Hey, it's alright. It's been a fucked up day, to say the least. But if you don't want to talk about... whatever it is that you're thinking of, then I'm not gonna force you to.'

'No, it's okay... So, once we get out of here, this means we're done with our parents, right? We're probably never gonna talk to them ever again?'

'Yeah...?'

'Well... I was just thinking of how this sucks for both of us, but... Well, for me, specifically, this is it - it's the end of any relation with my family.'

'Wait, what do you mean _for you, specifically_? I'm not gonna talk to my parents either.'

'Yeah, but you'll still have your brothers, and they're part of your family, aren't they? I'm not trying to say that I have it harder or that you have it easier, but... I don't know... Guess I'm really done with them now.'

'Woah... I... I hadn't thought of that...'

Jake just gives her a weak smile, as he rubs his entire face - signaling that he is tired - but Amy just looks at him with pity. They had both talked about this before actually telling their parents - that there was a possibility that their parents would never want to hear from them after today. But that was the key word - _parents. Parents_ don't necessarily always encompass the entire family, unless if your family comprises of you and your parents - which was exactly Jake's case. So you could say it was different for both of them technically. She was walking out on her parents; he was walking out on his entire family. 

But she knew he wouldn't be alone; she'd be there for him. They even lived together already. They laughed together; they cried together; they made fun of each other. Their relationship was (nearly) perfect. But something about thinking of him no longer having a family made something click inside of her. Yes, they loved each other, and they lived together, and they had been a couple for nearly fifteen years now. But she wanted more.

'Let's get married.'

The moment she proposes the idea, she bites her bottom lip as she sees his expression go from tired to shocked. His mouth opens a bit, as he tries to understand where the idea came from all of a sudden. And Amy tries to be patient, she tries her darn hardest. But she's finally getting an idea of how most people must feel when they propose to their significant other. She's feeling optimistic, because they have talked about marriage before and there's no point in being in a relationship as long as they have if they're not getting married. But at the same time, she has butterflies in her stomach because there is a possibility that he can turn it down as well.

'Ames, wh-wha-what? You wanna get married?'

'I think so,' she says with a little more confidence, but just as softly, 'I was thinking about what you said, and it occurred to me that, you know, we've been together for so long, and we love each other... it just seems right. I want to be your family, Jake Peralta. I want to marry you.'

Her smile, which had formed in her little explanation, widens as she seems him smile softly as well.

'Ames, I would love to marry you, and I know that we've talked about it before. And I promise you we'll get married one day... But I don't think either of us are in a right state of mind as of now to be making big decision.'

'Okay, yes, it may seem like this is just my emotional side controlling my rational side,' she concedes, 'But it's not. Jake, I love you, okay? I love how you're my best friend, and I feel comfortable around you way more than with anybody else, and I love how smart you are, and I love how cute and sexy you are. If I learned anything from today, it's that I don't need my parents to be happy. I need you, Jake. The only part of this super messed up day is right now - when you're sitting next to me. So, yes, I wanna get married, Jake, to you.'

The moment she finishes speaking, she goes back to being nervous. She's even more nervous about his response this time, perhaps because the first time he shot it down, albeit reasonably. 

'Yes.'

'Yes?' she asks for confirmation in the softest voice possible.

'Yes, I want to marry you, Ames.'

And the moment he says it, she crashes her lips on his. She tries to muster up every single emotion she's feeling right now into that one kiss, and she can tell he's trying to as well. For the most part, they're successful and they hold each other tightly, not wanting to leave each other, especially after such a horrid day.

'Um, just to be clear,' Jake says after parting, 'We're not getting today itself, are we?'

'What? No, no, we aren't. This is just... It's just a promise that we'll get married.'

'So... an engagement?'

'Well, no, not an engagement. This is just us agreeing to marry each other one day.'

'That sounds... like an engagement.'

'It's not. Because this is just... two people, who love each other.... committed to... Yeah, okay, fine. This is an engagement.'

'Wow... So we're engaged.'

'Um... Yeah.'

They go back to sitting in silence, albeit not awkward or tense as it was earlier. Strangely, it feels like a weight's been taken off her chest, Amy feels. But it's weird. Yes, she meant it when she told him that she wanted to marry him, and she still does want to marry him. But something seems weird.

'You alright?' Jake asks, once noticing the weird look she has on her face.

'Yeah, I just... This feels weird all of a sudden. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still wanna marry you, but this feels anticlimactic - the whole being engaged part.'

'Yeah, I was feeling the same. This was not how I imagined being engaged to you.'

'Hmm... But I suppose the bigger picture is that we're engaged; and not that it's anticlimactic.'

'Right... Although, we could change it on that front.'

'What do you mean?'

'Um...' He turns back to reach for something from the backseat, and Amy just tries to understand what he's getting at. 'Tie this over your eyes.'

'Why do you have your necktie in the back of your car?' she asks, but still does as she is told.

'In case you've forgotten, it's from last week.'

'Ooh! Are we having car sex again?'

'What? No! Why would we have car sex in the tiny space at the front instead of all that space in the back?'

'I don't know? To try something new, I suppose?'

'Oh. Well, that is tempting now... But, no, we are not gonna have car sex. Not now at least. Right now, I'm gonna make our anticlimactic engagement anti-anticlimactic.'

'You mean just climactic?'

'No, not just climactic; anti-anticlimactic.'

She laughs as he starts the engine. She has no idea what this man is about to do and his play at words may be riddled with errors, but, god, she loves him so much.

* * *

One thing Amy learns as she walks blindfolded is that the ground seems to have become deeper. Yes, Jake is holding her hand, and that alone assures her that she is safe, but just not being able to see where you are just naturally gives you a little fright - albeit, the good kind - she notes. Still, she wants to try and figure out where Jake has brought her; her eyes may be unable to see right now, but she does have her other senses. 

She can hear the rustling of the leaves under her feet; they are dry and crisp - not surprising since it is the middle of autumn. What is slightly surprising is how much of it there seems to be. This gives her the impression that they're in a place surrounded by lots of trees that have just shred their leaves. Next, she can also hear faint splashes of water followed by chirps and quacks. That would mean they're near a family of ducks. She only knows one place around here where she can find a family of ducks, and a smile naturally forms on her face.

'Jake, are we where I think we are?'

They take exactly one more step, before stopping. She has a feeling she's right, and the moment Jake takes off the fabric off her eyes, she realizes she was right. It should not have come as a surprise to her that Jake would want to come here - this park - to celebrate their engagement. After all, this was the place they first met, and talked, and became their hangout spot, and where they first confessed their feelings for each other and began their relationship. 

Amy looks around the park - undoubtedly her favorite place in the world. She's always found it to be most beautiful during the fall, when the leaves are of all types of shades and they make a beautiful scene throughout the place. There's still a duck family at the pond - where she and Jake used to feed ducks together since they were five. Everything looks the same, so perfect.

'It's been a while since we've been here last, huh?' she asks, turning back to him.

But when she does turn to face him again, she doesn't see him for the first two seconds - because he's down on one knee. And before she knows it, he takes out a tiny box from his jacket, only to open it and reveal the ring inside. This is not what she was expecting when he said he was going to make their engagement anti-anticlimactic. At first she thought he was going to take her to a library, or to a museum. But once she realized that they were in the park, she thought they'd just remember some of their best times before heading back home - not finding her boyfriend (or is it fiancé already?) down on one knee with an engagement ring. 

'I-Is that an - '

'Yes,' he replies, already knowing what the question was.

'Were you planning to...?'

'Sorta... I knew I wanted to marry you, but I did not think it was gonna be today... I actually only carried it around with me, because I was worried you would find it while cleaning our apartment.'

'Oh, my god, Jake...'

It's his turn to smile now, mainly because he can see that Amy is in awe and delight. He can also see that she's getting teary eyed, but he'd much rather have her happy crying than sad crying like she was a few minutes back. He had pictured this moment every night since he bought the ring, and, although this isn't exactly what he had in mind, he's excited and nervous - even though they both agreed minutes ago that they were engaged.

'I know we agreed to this literally five minutes ago, but here it goes.' He takes a deep breath before continuing, 'Amy Santiago... You have been my best friend ever since I can remember, and that happened here - exactly at this spot. If you told me back then that I'd be spending every day with you, and grow up to be in a relationship with you, and fall in love with you, I would have made fun of you for the rest of your life. But I'm glad - so glad - all that happened. Because I literally cannot picture you being out of my life for even two minutes. Everyday I wake up, I can't believe how lucky I am to be able to wake up to the most beautiful, smartest, funniest, amazing, perfect person ever. It's something I'll never understand - how _I_ get to be with someone a million times more awesome than me. Like I said, you're my best friend, and I don't care if this is the only relationship either of us have ever been in. I don't care if people think we're lame. Because, to me, this is all I've ever wanted - you and me. And we have so many of our firsts in life which coincide with our firsts in our relationship. Our first crushes were each other. The first time we told someone we liked them was to each other. This is the first relationship we've ever been in. Our first date was with each other. Our first kiss was both of us. Our first _I love you_ was to both of us. Our first time... y'know was with each other. We're each other's firsts in so many aspects, Ames, and I cannot believe how lucky I must be to be able to share them with you, and only with you, for my entire life... So, in this place that has meant so much to us over the years, Amy Santiago, will you marry me?'

'Jacob Peralta, yes, I will marry you.'

It's a whirlwind of emotions they both go through once he puts the ring on her. He immediately gets up and kisses her, and they can both agree that this is the best kiss they have ever had. They are officially engaged now - officially _fiancé and fiancée_. Even after they break their lips apart, they hug each other tightly - crying with only happy tears - and already keeping their promise to never let go of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so it's been awhile since I've written in this fic, and hope this is a good return XD  
> So, I got three people requesting for the same thing - Jake and Amy telling their parents. Credit goes to - Gaya3_274, OfButtsAndBombs, and tilldeathdouspart. If this turned out to be cheesy or corny or a real cliché, well... :P
> 
> Feel free to leave requests if you have any :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are so so lovely, but never demanded.
> 
> You can even find me on Tumblr @dolston17 if you ever wanna talk about Peraltiago or B99 in general.
> 
> Thank you, have a great day/night!


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